Garment-fastener.



-. P. M. PIERCE.

GARMENT FASTENBR. APPLICATION FILED APBJ. 1908 998,390. nted y 18,1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK IVI. PIERCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GARMENT-FASTENER.

T 0 all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Pmnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to garment fasteners or clasps, and the object of my invention is to provide a spring clasp the parts of which are easily operated and are not readily disengaged by pressure or other accidental causes, and one which shall be strong and durable and of low cost to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fastener comprising coacting male and female members, the male member having a shoulder or hump and one wall of the female member having a recess or aperture to receive the shoulder or hump, the opposite wall of the female member serving as a spring to hold the shoulder or hump in yielding engagement with the recess, the male member serving as a lever to separate the walls of the female member suliiciently to withdraw the shoulder or hump from the recess.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

My invention consists generally in a clasp or fastener characterized as above men tioned, and in various details of construction and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a garment fastener or clasp embodying my invention in its preferred form, Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof with the parts separated, Fig. 3 is an edge view of the female member, Fig. 4 is a section on the line m-00 of Fig. 1 illustrating the device secured to the edge of a piece of fabric, Fig. 5 is a similar view with the parts partially separated, Fig. 6 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of female member, Fig. 7 is a further modi fication and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the female member is formed.

The device consists generally in a male member 1 which is secured to one portion of the garment and a female member 2 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 7, 1908.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Serial No. 425,701.

which is secured to the other portion. The member 1 comprises a rectangular plate having a pair of shoulders 8 which are apertured as at 4 providing means for securing the member for service. The male member is provided, upon one face with a beveled shoulder or hump 5. This inclines upwardly from a point 6 near the front end of the plate 1 where it is flush with the surface of the plate.

The female member 2 comprises substantially parallel walls 7 and 8 which are formed of a single strip of spring material bent back on itself, and a pair of sidewalls 9-9 formed integrally with and bent down from the edge of the wall 7. To fasten the clasp the male member 1 is inserted between the walls 7 and 8, the former being provided with an aperture 10 to receive the shoulder or hump and the wall 8 serving as a spring to yieldingly hold the shoulder or hump within the aperture 10. The outer end of the wall 8 is turned down or flared as at 11 to facilitate inserting the male member and to prevent the same from getting beneath the wall 8 when it is secured to the garment. To unfasten the clasp, the female member 2 is firmly grasped at 9-9 and the projecting end of the male member is depressed. The male member serves as a lever to increase the distance between the walls for the purpose of withdrawing the shoulder or hump 5 from the aperture as shown clearly in Fig. 5.

The walls 9 are provided to afford a guide for the male member and a means for properly grasping the female member when unfastening the same, as well as to give finish to the device. In order to prevent the edges of the walls 8 and 9 from cutting the fingers, when the device is grasped to unfasten, the walls 9 are slightly tapered to cover the edge of the wall 8 when the device is in expanded position and are provided at their forward ends with extensions 12 which are turned inwardly under the wall 8 but a sufficient distance therefrom to permit ample movement of the wall to withdraw the shoulder or hump from the aperture.

In securing the female member for service, the wall 8 is fastened by rivets, sewing or other suitable means. The wall 8 is secured at both its forward and rear ends, and to prevent the male member from wearing on the fastening, an outwardly bulged portion 13 is provided in the wall 8, located in register with the aperture 10 in wall 7. Said bulged portion 13, also serves to bring the fastening point substantially in a plane with the portions 12, thus preventing puckering of the material. Then rivets are used to secure the clasp, a single hole 1a is provided in the bottom of the depressed por tion and a similar hole 15 is provided near the rear edge, the wall 7 having a corresponding aperture 16 above the hole 15 to facilitate fastening the rivet. When the device is to be sewed to the garment, a pair of small holes or perforations 17 Fig. 8 are provided in the bottom of the depression 13 and a similar pair of holes 18 Fig. 6 near the opposite end, a single small hole 19 being provided in the wall 7. It is obvious that running the needle diagonally through the perforations 18 and 19 of the two walls, the device may be readily sewed in place. This form is clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 8.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a further modification wherein a portion of the bent or spring wall 20 between the walls 7 and 8 is cut away and flattened into a plane with the wall 8 forming a tongue or lug 21 which is perforated as at 22 to receive a rivet or stitches as desired. This also serves to reduce the tension of the spring walls which I find to be important, particularly in clasps of large size.

It is obvious that the device is strong and durable and easy to operate and that it may be manufactured at a very low cost, each of the parts being formed from a single piece of material.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A fastener, comprising eoacting male and female members, the male member embodying a flat plate having a shoulder or hump on one face, and the female member embodying substantially parallel spring walls, and side walls formed integral with one of said spring walls and bent to inclose the other spring wall, one of said spring walls being apertured to receive and retain the shoulder or hump on the male member, and the other spring wall having an outwardly bulged portion apertured to receive a fastening means and lying flush with the outer surface of the side walls when said male member is in engagement with said female member and in register with the shoulder receiving aperture in the other spring wall.

In testimony whereof I lizwe signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK M. 'rrnno Witnesses ELLA M. K101i, HELEN F. LILLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

